


a small diamond

by BoyGirlBothNoneImTheUniverse



Series: Naruto Fics [50]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Regency, Dresses, F/M, I took some liberties ok, Romance, Tenten (Naruto)-centric, Valentine's exchange, kind of???
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-19 00:48:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29499090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BoyGirlBothNoneImTheUniverse/pseuds/BoyGirlBothNoneImTheUniverse
Summary: "Most men don't find a woman pulling a weapon on them very endearing.""That sounds exactly like something Neji would find endearing," Ino scoffed, her eyes rolling in exasperation.Neji, TenTen thought to herself, her heart skipping a beat.
Relationships: Gaara/Haruno Sakura, Haruno Sakura & Hyuuga Hinata & Tenten & Yamanaka Ino, Hyuuga Hinata/Inuzuka Kiba, Hyuuga Neji/Tenten, Uzumaki Naruto/Yamanaka Ino
Series: Naruto Fics [50]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1473923
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27
Collections: Naruto Multishippers Anonymous





	a small diamond

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Clementive](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clementive/gifts).



> this is my valentines gift exchange gift for clementive! i kid you not when i say i had your gift finished and ready to go when i realized that i accidentally included one of your squicks and had to start over with a completely new fic. i'm so sorry about that and i hope you enjoy this fic!

* * *

**a small diamond**

* * *

TenTen ran her hands down slowly, flattening the skirt of the dress she wore, a frown marring her face. The dress was in fashion, the design almost identical to the dresses her friends were wearing; off the shoulder with a low décolletage, her arms exposed to the cold air of the dressing room, and long bouffant styled skirt that swayed whenever she moved. A soft pink, so light it almost looked white, with maroon accents accentuating the clever and beautiful dragon design that patterned the top of her gown. Her normal, bland buns were braided and sat elegantly in their usual places atop her head, her brown hair shining in the candlelight thanks to the hair oils Hinata had helped comb through her hair. The small diamond earrings and thin necklace were modest but just as beautiful as the rest of her ensemble.

TenTen felt like a fraud.

"You look beautiful," Hinata's soft voice told her, the shy girl stepping up to her and looking at their images together in the mirror. Hinata's dress was similar to hers, though her décolletage wasn't as low, and her dress was an elegant and muted cream that helped the purple sapphires she adorned stand out. Hinata's dark blue hair sported the same lavender hair oil as TenTen's, and it made her long, luscious hair even more gorgeous.

"I fell beautiful," TenTen admitted. She wasn't lying, really; TenTen had never worn something as extravagant as this ballgown in her life. Born as a blacksmith's only child, TenTen's lot in life had always been to take over her father's practice one day. TenTen was gifted when it came to crafting metal; whether that metal was for weapons or jewelry, it didn't matter. TenTen had a fine eye for detail.

It was her eyes that got her into this situation to begin with.

_Opening the workshop for her father took hours; furnaces to heat and metal to treat, TenTen's days start early and end late. Because she willingly went in early, her father always let her take a few hours in the middle of the day to do as she pleased; whether it was to catch up on sleep or visit the market, it didn't matter. TenTen had chosen to visit one of the local food stalls in the market, her mind solely focused on the delicious sesame dumplings that the stand sold, and she almost missed the altercation happening in the corner of her vision. Almost, but not quite obscured behind a wall, stood a young woman, her back pushed against the wall as a man leaned over her, a cruel smirk on his face. The women's pale features and pupilless eyes immediately identified her as from the prominent Hyūga Clan. The Hyūga's weren't royalty, but they were close enough to it that TenTen was honestly surprised to see a member without a knight in sight._

_Watching as the women's stared at the man with wide eyes, her fear plain on her face, TenTen made a beeline for the alleyway, interrupting the man just as he placed a dirty hand around the woman's pale throat._

_"Hey!" TenTen shouted, easily sliding the dagger out of the hidden sheath strapped to her thigh, "What exactly do you think you're doing?!"_

_The man jumped at her shout, whipping around to glare menacingly at her. He opened his mouth, a snarl on his face, but the way his eyes darted behind her made it clear that her shout had gained the attention of the market-goers. He growled under his breath, a beastly thing that made TenTen want to snarl back before he withdrew his hand from the woman's throat and made to escape down the other opening of the alley they stood in. TenTen was tempted to follow but instead chose to slowly approach the gasping woman, her dainty hand hovering over her quickly bruising throat._

_"Are you alright?" TenTen asked, making sure the woman was aware of her approach, not wanting to frighten her anymore than she already was._

_"Thank you," the woman rasped out, her pale eyes shining as she looked at TenTen. "Thank you for helping me."_

TenTen doesn't regret helping Hinata that day; not in the least. If she had been even a fraction more distracted by her search for food, or if the bastard who had Hinata cornered had the frame of mind to move them just a few feet further into the alley, TenTen never would've spotted them. She never would have met Hinata, never became her friend, never have been introduced to Sakura and Ino, two of the best friends she's ever had.

If TenTen hadn't helped Hinata, she never would've met Neji.

_"He's my cousin," Hinata told her, a small smile on her face at the slightly wide-eyed look TenTen knew she was sporting. Hinata's cousin was already turning the corner, his handsome visage lingering in TenTen's mind even as he moved out of sight._

_"You look a bit stunned," Ino teased her as she fanned herself casually, a friendly smirk on her face._

_"Men don't usually compliment my form," TenTen uttered, still staring ahead, dazed._

_"I'm sure that's not true," Sakura giggled, her implications causing TenTen's cheeks to heat. TenTen turned to glare at her, meeting Sakura's wiggling eyebrows with a scowl._

_"That's not what I meant," TenTen huffed, her eyes flickering down to the dagger she had grasped in her hands. They had been on a stroll through the compound gardens that surrounded Hinata's sprawling home and her cousin had appeared out of nowhere. Use to defending the others from handsy suitors after months of spending time together, TenTen had drawn her dagger and had it at the possible attacker's throat within seconds. Instead of a man looking to take advantage of a group of women, TenTen had been greeted by a Hyūga man with incredibly handsome features and a single raised eyebrow._

_"You handle that dagger remarkably well," he had told her as she swiftly pulled away from him, cursing inside her head at how foolish she had been._

_"I have to know how to hold one to make one," she had responded in her panic, not quick enough to watch what she was saying. She had felt the pit of her stomach sink, panic setting in as she became fully aware of her words in actions, but the man didn't grow angry as she thought he would. Instead, his mouth had twitched into an amused quirk of the lips, a smile so small TenTen would have missed it if her eyes hadn't zeroed in on his lips the second she had stopped speaking._

_"Indeed," he had replied simply, nodding his head in greeting to the ladies behind her before he side-stepped them and continued on his way out of the garden and into the main compound behind them._

_"They usually find my ability to smith as a deterrent," TenTen explained, finally putting her dagger away. "Most men don't find a woman pulling a weapon on them very endearing."_

_"That sounds exactly like something Neji would find endearing," Ino scoffed, her eyes rolling in exasperation._

Neji _, TenTen thought to herself, her heart skipping a beat._

Having someone compliment her for something everyone else saw as ill-fitting of her gender was something so grandiose, she never knew she wanted it. Her father was the usual exception; he complimented her skills all the time, both her smithing and her ability to wield and wear the things she created. Others, especially men, tended to scoff at her abilities, either dismissing them or attempting to discourage such "unwomanly" behavior. Neji was the first man who she had ever threatened and then been complimented for it.

_"A ball?" TenTen asked, skeptical. Hinata's bed-chamber was the size of the house she shared with her father, the room toasty warm from the roaring fireplace located on the wall in front of her truly humongous bed._

_Sakura hummed from in front of Hinata's vanity, her hands braiding an intricate design into Ino's long blonde hair. "Several predominant clan heirs are going to be there; Ino's had the Uzumaki heir eating out of the palm of her hand for months and if everything goes to plan, he should have a formal proposal ready for her at the ball."_

_"Naruto can be an idiot at times," Ino told her, a soft smile gracing her face, "but he's a rather charming, caring idiot, and I would have him as my husband in a heartbeat."_

_"Hinata's beau will be there as well," Sakura teased as she started a new braid, laughing as Hinata's cheeks flushed a bright red._

_"K-Kiba is not my 'beau,'" Hinata stuttered out, her hands grasping onto the dress she had been examining. "He's the second in line for the Inuzuka Clan title," Hinata explained when TenTen turned to her in confusion._

_"The Inuzuka are, for the most part, matriarchal," Ino explained, humming as Sakura continued her ministrations. "But should anything happen to his older sister, he would hold the title until such a time he had a daughter to take over. A wonderful situation to have when Hinata must marry a man who would leave his home and take her name instead."_

_Hinata flushed farther under TenTen's raised eyebrow, refusing to meet her gaze. "Kiba is a kind man, nothing more."_

_"He's like a dog in heat around her," Sakura snorted, her words causing Ino to cackle. TenTen bit her lip, a startled laugh trying to make its way out of her mouth._

_"And what of Gaara?" Hinata asked, her attempt to divert attention from herself working as Ino and TenTen both turned their teasing to their pink-haired friend._

_"Ah, the mysterious prince from lands far away," Ino said dramatically, not even wincing when Sakura gave her hair a hard tug._

_"He's not from a far-off land," Sakura said haughtily._

_"But he is a prince?" TenTen asked, amused._

_"He's from Wind Country," Sakura answered, "not some bloody kingdom located thousands of miles away. Their caste system is just a little different is all."_

_TenTen nodded at the explanation, getting Sakura's point. Fire Country was a kingdom composed of a multitude of rich clans that ruled the individual lands that surrounded their compounds. Wind Country, on the other hand, was united under one Clan, the title King anointed to whoever was head of the clan. If Gaara's father held such a title, then he would indeed be considered the prince of his kingdom._

_"Our Sakura's looking to make herself a princess, eh?" TenTen teased, delighted as Ino and Hinata both laughed at Sakura's disgruntled look._

_"Don't think you're getting out of this, TenTen," Sakura warned, pointing at TenTen with the brush she had just been using to detangle Ino's hair before braiding it. "Neji will, of course, be in attendance."_

_"Hinata," TenTen immediately groaned, looking to the smiling woman for pity she knew she wasn't going to find._

_"I think if you simply talked with him, you would find that you really do have a lot in common," Hinata gently teased, laying the dress in her arms on the corner of her bed._

_"I'm not ladies or heirs like you three," TenTen stressed, her chest aching as she frowned. "I'm a blacksmith's daughter. No better than a peasant. The fact you three even deign to speak with me is a miracle."_

_"You're no peasant," Ino snapped, glaring at the insult TenTen had just given herself._

_"Not that there's anything wrong with being a peasant," Hinata added, though Ino simply waved her hand at her, her focus completely on TenTen._

_"What you need," Ino stressed, a smirk curling on her lips, "is a makeover."_

"And you really think that this will catch your cousin's attention?" TenTen asked Hinata, unconvinced.

Hinata smiled at her, her eyes crinkling at the corners as if she knew something TenTen didn't know. "I'm sure."

TenTen turned to examine herself once more, nerves eating away at her stomach, when the door to the room opened, Ino and Sakura gliding in with all the elegance their status demanded they have.

Sakura's red dress was eye-catching and gorgeous, the white details of her clan's familiar cherry blossoms gracing the entirety of her dress. Her jewelry was silver and adorned with huge, clear diamonds. Ino was wearing a striking purple gown, her décolletage tantalizingly low, enough so that it was bordering on indecent for the company they would be keeping. There was little detail put in the designs decorating her dress, a simple floral pattern, but anything more would surely start to detract from the assets Ino was obviously trying to point attention towards. The teardrop sapphire necklace resting on her chest only helped.

"Oh my gods," Ino gasped, her eyes wide as she stared at TenTen. "Look at you!"

"You look like a proper lady!" Sakura said, awed at TenTen's appearance.

"I feel like a phony," TenTen confessed to them, her breathing picking up as her nerves started to get the better of her.

"There's nothing to fear," Ino insisted as she drew near, wrapping an arm around TenTen's shoulder and grinning at their reflections in the mirror. "You'll knock him dead."

The short journey from the dressing room to the ballroom was nerve-wracking and TenTen almost stopped a dozen times, her mouth opening to insist that she should return and wait the night out in Hinata's rooms, but the words never coming. She separated from her friends as they waited to be announced at the top of a grand staircase, TenTen walking further down the hall and then down another staircase in order to enter the hall from a less grand entrance.

She slipped into the hall, her heart racing and her attention span shot. It was truly no surprise then that when someone lightly tapped her on her shoulder, TenTen's first instinct was to lash out, grabbing the hand and twisting it, her thumb digging into a pressure point. She whipped around to face her assailant and immediately gaped as Neji's scrunched face greeted her.

"Oh no," TenTen whispered, immediately letting go of his hand. "I'm so sorry!"

"No, you have my apologies," Neji huffed, gently massaging his hand as he smirked at her. "I should have remembered not to startle you."

TenTen hid a wince, truly and utterly humiliated. She had gotten dressed up for this ball, all with the purpose to try and catch Neji's eye, and here she was completely and utterly messed it up by being a disaster.

"On another note, I was hoping to have your first dance."

"What?" TenTen asked, shocked.

"I've never met a girl quite like you," Neji said, his pale skin pinking slightly as TenTen stared at him. "You've threatened me twice now and I can't seem to get you out of my mind."

TenTen, unable to think of a proper response, simply put her hand in his and let him lead her onto the bustling dance floor. She caught a glimpse of Ino as she danced with a blonde man, bother of their eyes caught within the other's gaze. Sakura was in an intimate conversation with a pale red-headed man, his calm visage not changing even as Sakura threw her head back and laughed at something he had said. TenTen was almost in the middle of the dance floor before she finally saw Hinata, the smaller woman dancing in the arms of a tan man with strikingly bright red marks on his cheeks. Hinata met her gaze for a moment, a soft smile on her face, before the man whisked her away and out of sight.

TenTen finally turned her gaze to Neji's and, with a deep breath, let the music sweep them away.

**Author's Note:**

> okay so i hope this was okay! :')


End file.
